Chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Saturday asked the field-level civil officials and police to work as public servants, not as party activists.

‘We have also asked the police and the civil administration to perform their duties impartially,’ the CEC told a press conference at the Election Commission media centre in the capital after a meeting with the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of 61 districts of the country on the zila parishad elections.

Meeting insiders told New Age that an election commissioner had to stop his speech following a protest of DCs and SPs when the commissioner raised questions about the role of the field-level officials during polls.

The commission also discussed with them its preparations ahead of the 12th parliamentary elections.

Apart from the DCs and SPs, the senior secretary of the Public Security Division of the home ministry and additional inspector general of police were present in the meeting.

‘We want free, fair and participatory elections. We hope that the Election Commission will be impartial. Elections are not fair if there is no contest,’ he said, adding that the field administration should not do anything in their conduct that will make the general public think that they are biased.

‘You must act impartially. As public servants, you must understand the distinction between the government and a political party. Never think or consider yourself a party activist in your action. Your behaviour should not make people think that you are working for any party,’ he said.

The CEC warned the officials that the position of the EC would be strict during the elections.

He said that the work of the field officers would also be monitored.

‘No laxity in duties will be tolerated. The EC will stand firm in the exercise of the powers and duties assigned to it,’ he added.

Several meeting insiders said that the DCs and SPs sharply reacted during the speech of an election commissioner as he raised questions about the integrity of DCs and SPs.

The commissioner at one stage asked the DCs and SPs whether he should continue his speech or not and when all of them shouted ‘no’ in one voice the commissioner stopped his speech.

‘The commissioner said, “Our [the EC’s] integrity is called into question for your [DCs’ and SPs’] activities in the field. You people even do not pay the field-level officials properly after getting [the money] from the commission,”’ an EC official said, adding that the DCs and SPs started shouting after this remark.

The CEC observed that political leaders must resolve political issues even if there was a division in the political circles regarding participation in the parliamentary elections and regarding confidence in the commission.

 ‘There is a division due to the opposing positions on the parliamentary elections. We expect that the political leadership to solve any political problems with their good will and wisdom. And this is not the task of the commission. The EC cannot interfere in political matters. Political problems have to be solved by politicians,’ he said.

Pointing out that the EVM issue was discussed in the meeting, the CEC disclosed that the officials advised carrying out a massive campaign on the issue.

He also said that no one should be harassed for their political views during elections.

During the elections, the CEC reminded, the ministries of public administration and home and the law enforcement would be under the commission’s authority.

‘The army may also be required [to be deployed], if necessary,’ he said.

He revealed that the DCs and SPs had promised to behave impartially.

The DCs and SPs have proposed to the commission to reduce the number of polling centres and increase the number of polling booths in each centre in the Jatiya Sangsad polls, he also shared.

They have made this proposal for facilitating the deployment of sufficient numbers of law enforcement personnel at the polling centres, he said.

At a separate press conference, Public Security Division senior secretary Akhter Hossain said that general issues, including the Zila Parishad and upcoming national election, were discussed in the meeting.

Referring to the number of polling stations in the latest parliamentary elections, the senior secretary said that the number of polling stations would increase to more than 43,000 in the next polls.

‘We have requested the commission to direct the district administration and police administration to visit polling stations together with the field administration and public representatives… And instead of unnecessary polling stations, I have said that a reasonable number of polling stations should be fixed in each union, in such places where voting can be conducted safely, so that law enforcement personnel can be properly deployed,’ he said.

In response to a question, he said that the issues of filing politically motivated cases were not discussed in the meeting.

But he hastened to add that there was no scope for filing a case to harass any person.

The police administration works under the EC during the elections, additional IGP Atiqul Islam said.

‘The police perform their duties in light of the Election Commission instructions. Action will be taken if there is a complaint of favouritism against anyone,’ he said.

Elections to 61 Zila Parishad are scheduled to be held on October 17 while the next parliamentary polls will be held in December 2023 or January 2024.